Learning How to Relax 

Problems in life cause stress. To overcome stress, you should relax and clear your mind of any troublesome thoughts. Through physical relaxation you can control your thoughts and feelings, and discover a relaxing place within you. A relaxing place is beautiful to the person and provides what she/he needs to be rested, safe and happy. Your room or a special outdoor place where you can go and get away to think things over are examples of physical, relaxing spaces. These are sore characteristics of a relaxing place: 

• You can go to your relaxing place anytime you want 
• You control the relaxing place 
• Relaxing places are safe and filled with what you need 

• The relaxing place is where you can solve or think about possible solutions to a problem 
• Your relaxing place exists within you, just as the answers to your problems exist within you too 
• The relaxing place is so safe that any idea or emotion can be felt there 

What does a relaxing (happy, safe) place mean to you? 

Visualization 

Through visualization it is possible to create a relaxing place in your mind. Visualization is when you imagine a scene so deeply that it feels like it’s really happening, like day-dreaming. Through visualization, you can “get away” anytime you feel bad, just by closing your eyes. 

Visualization Guidelines:  

• Stay quiet, to allow your mind to focus fully 
• Close your eves to keep the focus inside 

• Keep your body in line, so no part of the body is cramped 
• Tense and then relax your muscles 
• Let the silence settle your mind 
• Let the images take over 
• Focus your thoughts on creating a relaxing place and releasing concerns and worries 
  Weed out negative, troubling thoughts